5 Wedding Timeline Tips from a Photographers Perspective

As wedding photographers, we are often very closely involved in the flow of the wedding day. We work with the planners and our couples to ensure everything important to them is taken care of. Timelines can be tricky things; there is so much to consider and be mindful of on such an important day! So what we've done is narrowed it down to 5 of the top things we as wedding photographers think help couples when laying out their wedding day timeline. We hope you find this helpful, and be sure to check out some of our other blogs!

1) Daylight

What do we mean by daylight? Well, if you're living anywhere except California or Florida, maybe? You're going to be running out of Daylight by 5 pm from October to February! This can make things pretty tricky, especially if your ceremony is at 5 pm, you're not doing a first look, and want to do formals after the ceremony. If that's the plan, you are pretty much guaranteed to be shooting in the dark, which is not a deal-breaker, but also not always ideal. Shooting at night does drastically change the "Feel" of your photos for the formals with you and your partner and the wedding party! Our recommendation is to work with your photographer and planner on figuring out how to ensure you get the look and feel you want for your wedding photos and still not compromise too much on the essential things to your wedding day. It may require some adjustments or a small compromise, but in the end, it will be well worth it getting the photos the way you want them!

2) Start Time

We get this question a lot, “When is the best time for your wedding photographer to arrive?” In the end, it comes down to what's important to you on your wedding day and whether or not you want a photos of it. For us, when it comes to a start time, we talk through the day's events. If the bride has slotted 3 hours for getting ready we generally will show up just before she puts her dress on and for about the last hour of getting ready. This is when folks are usually close to being done with hair and makeup, and it makes for better photos. This also allows us more time to capture the rest of the day's events at the venue!

3) Travel Time for Formals

This is a big one that is often overlooked! If you're planning on hitting several locations for your formal photos, you need to make sure you have several things figured out. Transportation, is it a party bus, trolley, Uber XL? Make sure that the wedding party is all together in one vehicle; it saves so much time (and not lost lol)! Make sure that no big events that day that will create a traffic nightmare! Our team is based out of Nashville, so when we're shooting downtown, we always have to make sure there's no big sporting event or concert that's going to leave us in bumper-to-bumper traffic for an hour. Be strategic with locations; try and coordinate them so that they're pretty close together and easy accessible. There is nothing worse than unanticipated travel time eating into your time for photos!

4) Family Photos

Some couples couldn't care less about family photos; others, it's the most emotional part of the day. Whichever camp you fall into, there are a couple of tricks that can help you capture all the photos you want and have it be a stress-free, efficient process. For starters, discuss with your planner and wedding photographer the option of having family arrive for pictures before the ceremony. This ensures everyone is on time and allows you to move right into cocktail hour with your friends and family or jump into some great sunset photos! Another great trick that helps with your timeline is to create a family shot list. Make sure this list has all the family groupings you'd want pictures with. Give this to the photographer prior to your wedding day to ensure the family photos are organized and don’t take forever!

5) Fake Exit

Now, we know, fake exits are controversial in the wedding world. BUT, hott take, we think they're genius! Here's why, by the end of the night, the guest count has dropped significantly. In addition to that, those left have been hitting the dance floor and the open bar with reckless abandon. This leaves everyone sweaty, disheveled, and less than picture perfect! We say, consider the fake exit, more people involved, everyone's still looking posh and ready, and if your photographers are not going to be there for the whole day, it gives you a chance to capture that special moment before they're gone for the night.

Are you looking for a photographer for your wedding? Shoot us a message, and let's chat about how we can capture your wedding day for you!